Burning Like a Candle
by GeronimoPond
Summary: Edward has been in love with Bella for years and when he finds out she has a new boyfriend, what happens next may make or break him. EPOV Eventual ExB. Rated M for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: It's me again. This is the story I said I was working on earlier. I thought I'd be nice and put it up for you all to see. It's probably going to be a short one, not as long as Haunted or Drunken. **

**It's all from Edward's perspective and it jumps around from past to present and I try my best to let you know which is which.**

I waited patiently in Bella's driveway, the breakfast sandwich my mother Esme made for Bella sat wrapped in a napkin on the passenger seat. Today was different; Bella was always out the door and in my car by 7:17, but this morning she wasn't. I quick shot off a text to her, telling her I was outside. Five minutes later, the front door opened and Bella walked out, looking worse for wear. I waited until she was buckled up to say anything.

"What's wrong, Bells?" My childhood nickname for her usually made her smile, but like I said, today was different. She sighed, and rubbed her nose like a small child. She sadly picked at her breakfast and didn't look up at me.

"James broke up with me last night," She sniffled quietly, a single tear rolled down her cheek. I silently backed out of her driveway and began the trek to school. On the inside, I was ecstatic. I hated James, I always have. I didn't see what Bella found so intriguing about him. I thought of him as a scumbag, just like her previous boyfriend, Mike Newton. Her other ex, Ben Cheney, was a good match for her, I thought. But he was much better off with Angela Weber, anyway.

"Oh." was my response. I knew after our years of friendship that it was better off for the both of us if Bella was able to vent her anger and frustrations uninterrupted.

"I thought we had something together, you know? We hung out. We went out. He even paid for a meal or two, and that's saying something about a guy when he pays on a date. Charlie even liked him. Charlie, for crying out loud!" Bella paused to take a bite of her egg sandwich.

"What do I always tell you, Bella? The guy who says goodbye to you is out of his mind. You deserve better." She smiled at me, her dark brown eyes sparkling.

"That's why I love you, Edward. You always know the right thing to say." She finished her breakfast in a few more bites and turned on the radio.

"I love you too, Bella."

More than you ever know.

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Well, Bella went through her fair share of boyfriends during high school. And I was always there to comfort and console, to offer the same advice every time: "You deserve better and the guy who says goodbye to you is out of his mind."

College came around and Bella and I were separated. I went to college in Chicago, while she stayed back in Washington, going to college in Seattle. It was hard at first, but at least I was among friends. My brother Emmett attended the same college as me, along with my other best friend Jasper Whitlock. Jasper's girlfriend, Alice, who was also my twin sister, stayed back in Washington, going to school with Bella. She was as close to Bella as me, so I knew Bella was in good hands. Jasper helped me cope through the first couple of weeks without her. He knew how I felt about her, if not more. He was crazy perceptive like that. Emmett got the gist of it when he came to visit me in my dorm room I shared with Jasper and I was listening to Debussy while paging through a photo album she made for a graduation present for me.

"Holy shit, dude. You've got it bad for Bells, don't you?" He asked, standing over me to look at the photos. I had stopped on my favorite of the two of us together. Alice had taken it on the night of Bella's eighteenth birthday part. It was just our little group of friends and we had gotten into a huge cake fight in the backyard of my house. Bella and I wrestled with each other, smearing cake all over the other. Alice snapped a picture of Bella and I as we rolled on the cake-covered grass, big toothy grins on our faces. I was truly happy in that one miniscule moment: I had the girl of my dreams in my arms and I wasn't planning on letting go anytime soon. Bringing myself to the present, I caught the last of what Em was saying.

"…and I got shit-faced that night and we've been together ever since." I stared at him, puzzled by what he was talking about. Then I remembered. It was the night he met his girlfriend Rosalie, who also went to school with us. They met at a frat party and got drunk together. They hit it off that night and I couldn't be happier for him. I loved Rose like a sister, and she loved me like the little brother she never had.

"Have you talked to her lately?" I nodded, flipping through the next few pages of the photos. I emailed her daily and from her insistence, I made a Facebook profile and kept in touch with her through that as well.

"Why haven't you added me as your friend on Facebook? I'm your brother, asshole." He grumbled under his breath as he clicked on the minimized page on my computer desktop. I didn't log off, so Emmett scrolled down through my profile unabashedly. Jasper came in a few minutes later, not at all surprised to find Emmett in our room. It was a daily occurrence, something we'd become used to.

"What up, Whitlock? How's the pixie?" He made a fist and Jasper pounded it with his own. Emmett and I began calling Alice the Pixie, when one year at Halloween she dressed up as Tinkerbelle but neglected to tell us what she was. Because of her short stature and hyper personality, it stuck.

"Good. I talked to Bella too, at the cyber café. She says she has a surprise for you on her Facebook profile." Off the bat, I was insanely jealous of Jasper. He and Alice talked weekly on a web cam and we didn't get one yet for the dorm room, so the cyber café on campus was the only place that had them. Since he got to talk to Bella, that meant he got to see her, live. All I got to see were the pictures of her she posted on her profile. Emmett clicked on her in my Top Friends section and the three of us scanned her profile. I stared intently at her profile picture, because it was one of her, Alice and I.

"Uh-oh, bro." Emmett said, tapping me on the shoulder.

"Huh?" He pointed to the screen and my eyes followed down the screen. My breath caught and my stomach plummeted.

In a relationship.

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**Is it worth continuing? What do you think? Please leave a review.**

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	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This one is a short one, but trust me, you'll love the next chapter...**

I numbly sat on my bed, my eyes wide and unfocused. She hadn't mentioned anything about meeting anyone in any of her emails, Alice didn't say anything either. Jasper sat next to me while Emmett searched Facebook to see if he could find who Bella was seeing.

"You okay? I'm sorry, Edward." Jasper noticed the photo album on my bed and closed it, sliding it under my mattress.

"Thanks," I said, my voice hollow and monotone. This never happened to me before when Bella had found a new boyfriend. Maybe it was the distance thing that had me bothered about this.

"Found him. Jacob Black is his name. Goes to school in Seattle, when to high school on that rez' in La Push. You know, the Quiluete one. Shit, man. He's stacked. Looks like he could snap Bella in two if he ever got in a bad mood." Em swiveled the monitor towards me. I groaned and fell back on the bed, covering my face with a pillow.

"He's exactly Bella's type." My voice was muffled, but clear enough for them to hear.

"What? An eight-foot 'roid head with a rat tail? Give me a break, Edward. This is definitely not Bella's type." Emmett emphasized his not-so obvious comment by nudging me forcefully with his foot.

"Knock it off. I've had enough conversations with her about this more times than I can count and I'm one hundred and twenty-five percent positive that this Jacob Black is exactly Isabella Marie Swan's type."

"It had to happen in the past few days because Bella didn't say a thing last week," Jasper murmured, getting off the bed. My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out. It was a new text from Bella.

_Like my surprise?_

I sighed, closing my eyes. What was I supposed to say? _Of course I don't, but still, I'll be waiting for the frantic phone call at four in the morning because he just broke up with you and you need to vent._ I've done this routine time after time and I was sick of it. I hit reply and typed my response.

_It's sure a surprise, all right._

I tossed my phone on my desk and stretched out on my bed. Emmett was texting, most likely to Rose, to tell her what happened. The phone buzzed again and I ignored it.

"It's Bella, Edward." Jasper said, picking the phone up.

"I don't care anymore." I whispered, finally making up my mind.

Bella Swan was never going to be mine.

* * *

I don't know when or how I fell in love with Bella. I think it began when we both lived in Phoenix, Arizona. Bella and her mom lived next door and our mothers were close friends. We grew up together and there were countless pictures of us in various stages of development. And then Renee got married when Bella and I were eight. Bella's step-father, Phil, played baseball and traveled all over the country. Renee sold their house to live in an RV with Phil during the season and sent Bella to live with Charlie in Washington. I was devastated, to say the least. For the first couple months, we called and talked to each other daily, but as we grew up, the phone calls became weekly, monthly and then at holidays. Soon, I had lost complete contact with my best friend.

When I was a freshman in high school, my father Carlisle was transferred to a new hospital in Washington State. We packed up and moved to a tiny logging town called Forks and discovered why they nicknamed it the 'rainiest place in the world.' While waiting out in the rain one morning for the school bus to arrive, an umbrella appeared over my head and a figure in a yellow rain jacket stood next to me.

"Thanks." I said loudly, the thunder rumbling.

"You must be new here. Everyone carries one of these with them at all times. Never know when it's gonna rain." I smiled, glad to know that the figure was a girl.

"Yep. Moved here from Phoenix a few days ago. Edward Cullen." I stuck my hand out to her and heard her startled gasp.

"Edward?" She brushed back her long brown hair and I let out my own surprised gasp.

"Bella?" At that moment, both Emmett and the bus arrived, jarring our reunion.

"What up, Smelly-Belly? Long time, no see. Sweet, I didn't miss the bus!" Emmett climbed into the bus and it honked impatiently when neither Bella or I moved to get on. From that moment on, Bella and I were inseparable.

Until now.

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**Eh? Eh? What do you think about it now? Next chapter up soon, I promise.**

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	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I think this will be the last update for tonight. I've reached my last completed section in my notebook. I have a half-day on Friday and I'm not busy all week, so expect another update within the week. Drunken will (probably) be updated then, as well.**

What I think cemented my feelings for her happened last year at Christmas, when Emmett brought Rosalie home for the holidays. All of us "kids" spent Christmas Eve and Christmas day with each other. Jasper and Alice had just become an item the month before, so they were in the early stage of a relationship, Em and Rose had been dating for a year or so and they were head over heels for one another. That left Bella and I, but we didn't mind. We were sprawled out in our basement, still digesting the feast Esme prepared for all of us hours before.

"You know what we haven't played in a while? Truth or dare." Alice said, leaning back on her elbows next to Jasper on the floor.

"What are we, Alice? Little kids? Well, I'm in." Emmett said, rolling off the couch and onto the floor.

"Of course you'd play it, kids or not." Rosalie grumbled, settling down between Em and I.

"Rosalie hasn't played before, so here's a quick spark note version of the rules. We write down our truths and dares and pick them out. It's also kind of like spin the bottle as well, because you have to write down the name of the person it's directed towards. Got it?" Alice prattled on as Bella and Jasper got pens and paper.

"I'm fairly sure I'll get the hang of it." The basement was silent as we all jotted down our questions and demonstrations.

"And since I thought of this, I'll go first." Alice picked out a slip of paper from Emmett's dress shoe and skimmed it quickly. A grin appeared and she gracefully got to her feet.

"Bella, I dare you to take off three articles of clothing. Off of me." Oh, so this was how we were going to play. Bella smiled as well. She and Alice were thick as thieves and had stripped down on numerous occasions with each other (Alice told me this one afternoon, right out of the blue.) Rosalie began humming stripper music and I knew instantly that Emmett had found his soul mate. Bella proceeded to remove Alice's socks, sweater and undershirt, leaving her in a camisole and jeans. Jasper, always being the gentleman, slid close and draped an arm across her shoulders.

"Okay, who's next?" This went on for a while and before we knew it, we were on the last slip of paper. It was Bella's turn and with the little help of alcohol, her face had a lovely glow to it as she slowly read the paper.

"Edward," She said, her voice low and husky. There was all of a sudden a loud buzzing in my ears and my heart raced.

"I dare you…to kiss me." There was a new sensation in the basement and I knew everyone could feel it.

"Who wrote that?" I heard Rosalie murmur to Emmett. He shrugged his shoulders and continued to stare at Bella and I.

"You can't back out of the dare, Edward." Alice reminded me quietly.

"Who says I was backing out?" I mumbled and scooted closer to Bella. I licked my lips nervously and I was surprised to see Bella's eyes flicker down to my mouth. I don't know if it was the alcohol talking or just my own self-esteem, but damn. Knowing that she might want this as much as me was really boosting my ego.

"I'm not getting any younger here, people. Get it on!" Emmett whined, earning a shush from Rose. I sat in front of Bella, my body angled towards hers. I lifted a shaky hand up and brushed a stray strand of hair off her face. She moved so I was cupping her cheek. Her eyes were wide open as I leaned closer. Our breaths mingled momentarily before Bella's lips touched mine. I felt like I was flying, my mind reeling at the feel of her on me. My other hand rested on the nape of her neck and I pressed her closer to me. I gasped when I felt her tongue touch my closed mouth. She shifted she straddled my lap. Her fingers went into my hair and tugged ever-so gently. My eyes rolled back in my head at the sensation. I angled my head to get better access to Bella's mouth and groaned quietly when her tongue met mine. I repositioned my hands, so they were gripping her hips. She straightened up so her head was above mine. My right hand ghosted up her side and she moaned quietly. I did it again, harder. She pulled away slightly, to catch her breath. I brought her back for a few more kisses before someone cleared their throat. Loudly.

"Uh…game over, I guess." Alice said, her voice full of surprise. Everyone else's eyes were glued on Bella and I, still wrapped up in each other. I dropped my hands quickly and backed away. I had to, because if I didn't, they'd all be getting an encore performance. Bella slid off of me and I bit my lip as she did. A certain part of my anatomy was grazed by a certain part of hers. I took a few deep breaths to collect my thoughts. I stiffly stood up, shoulders hunched.

"I'm going to bed." I said woodenly (no pun intended) as I hurried out of the basement.

I went into my bathroom and took the longest cold shower in my life. It didn't help that the moment I got myself under control, my traitorous mind drifted back to the basement, the taste of her still lingering on my lips.

"Shit." I grumbled and rested my forehead on the cool tile of the shower wall. I turned the water off and wrapped a towel around my waist. Scrubbing a hand over my face and opened the door leading into my bedroom. I flicked off the bathroom light and had to wait a moment for my eyes to adjust to the lack of light in my own room. And when they did, my stomach dropped and my attempts of moderate control I worked so hard on (pun intended) disappeared.

Bella was waiting for me in my own bed.

"What are you doing here? Why aren't you with Alice and Rose?" My voice sounded so loud in my room, when everything else was quiet.

"I was wondering if I could spend the night with you. Alice and Rose are sharing their beds with Jasper and Emmett and Charlie isn't home tonight." Her quiet voice drifted towards me and I sighed. It wasn't like we hadn't slept together before. When we were younger, we always slept in the same bed during sleepovers or if one of us was having a hard time sleeping, we'd climb out of our windows and into each other's rooms.

"Yea. Just let me go change. Make yourself comfortable." I went to my closest and stood in the dark, collecting my thoughts. I slipped on my boxers and a wife-beater and walked out. Bella was curled up on her side, under the covers, already asleep. I slid in as slowly as I could, not wanting to disturb her. I stretched my arms and legs and sighed, closing my eyes. Bella rolled over and slung an arm across my waist and tucked her head in the crook of my arm. I bent my head to press a light kiss into her hair.

"Sleep well, Bella."

I woke up the next morning, alone. My head pounded, my hangover soon on its way. I buried my face into my pillow with a low groan. The pillow smelled like strawberries and a flood of memories hit me like a ton of bricks. _Truth or dare in the basement, Emmett proposing to Jasper, my fingers trailing through Bella's long hair_….

I got out of bed, pulled on a pair of sweat shorts and headed downstairs. My parents were sitting in the breakfast nook, drinking coffee and reading the newspaper.

"Edward! My, you're up early. Want me to make you some breakfast? I was going to wait for the others to get up, but…" My mom got up and began rummaging through the fridge. My dad looked at me and shook his head ruefully and continued to read the paper.

"Mom, it's all right. Wait for the others. I was just wondering if you knew where Bella was." Carlisle put the paper down and Esme placed a carton of eggs on the counter.

"She left about an hour ago, sweetheart. She said she wasn't feeling well and went home."

"She looked fine to me, though. A little flushed, but other than that," Carlisle said, taking a sip of coffee.

"I offered to make her breakfast and she left without an answer." I sat down at the table, covered my face with my hands.

"It would've been nice to see her before I left," I mumbled sadly. I wasn't going to be spending my entire winter break in Washington. I had to go back to Chicago and begin my internship next week at the hospital. I was leaving later tonight on the red eye.

"I know, darling. I know." My mom wrapped her arms around me and kissed my cheek.

I spent the day packing and saying goodbye to Alice and my parents. Jasper opted to drive me to the airport; Carlisle had to go in for an emergency surgery and Esme was never one that was good with goodbyes. As he drove, I stared gloomily out the window. He slowed down in front of a house and parked by the curb.

"What are you doing? My plane leaves in less than an hour."

"Make it quick." He unlocked the doors and pointed to the house. Then it downed on me where we were. I scrambled out of the car and ran up the front yard. I pounded on the front door with my fists, then remembered Charlie wasn't around. I sprinted to the side of the house and nimbly climbed the lattice up to her bedroom window. I knocked lightly and peered in. In the dim light, I could see her in her bed. But the figure in the bed was too big to be just Bella. I watched in almost slow motion as Bella rose above the person in her bed and let down her hair. The figure reared up and began kissing her neck. I knew that face anywhere. She was back with James.

I climbed down slowly and numbly walked back to the car, where Jasper was waiting patiently for me.

"What happened? Did you see her?" I nodded and closed my eyes. I was in love with Bell and she was screwing another guy.

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**Even I feel bad for Edward! I'm watching Employee of the Month right now and I think that I want to write a one-shot on it. It'd be really funny. Would any of you read it? I love that damn movie!**

**Please leave a review.**

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	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I just whipped this up this evening. I think it's just a bit of fluff to set the stage for the next chapter. I'll let you read it now.**

After we found out Bella was in a relationship via Facebook, Emmett suggested we got out that night.

"Come on, Edward. It'll be therapeutic."

"No, it won't. When I get drunk, I get sentimental. No one wants that right now." I grumbled and turned my music up. The last time I got drunk, instead of sleeping with the girl Emmett found for me at the bar, I spilled my life story to me and woke up in her lap, with her stroking my hair.

"But it won't help being holed up in our room, either. You don't have to drink, just come out with us." Jasper, the voice of reason, offered. It didn't sound that bad when he put it like that.

"Fine. But I'm leaving by two, because I have rounds tomorrow." I shrugged on a jacket and followed the two of them out to the bar off campus. I broke my cardinal rule and rank all night. I regretted it, waking up late for my rounds at the hospital. I was bitched out by my resident and I left early when I was puked on for the third time in a hour. That night, with persuasion and support from Jasper and Emmett, I switched my major, to music composition.

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Switching my major was the greatest idea I ever had. I was more relaxed and that was a huge change, everyone who knew me was grateful. The first night after switching, I went out and bought a secondhand upright piano. With a little help from Jasper and Emmett, we maneuvered it into the common room of our dorm. No one really seemed to mind it; in fact, I think they actually liked it. I loved the way it sounded, but it would never come close to my precious grand piano, which was back in Forks. My parents got me it for my sixteenth birthday, instead of a fancy car, like the Jeep Emmett got two years before. For years I had been asking-no, begging-for a new piano. The electric keyboard just wasn't cutting it for me anymore. I was upstairs in my room with Bella when Carlisle knocked on the door.

"Edward, your mother and I want to show you something." I glanced at Bella, who shrugged her shoulders and rolled off the bed ungracefully. She stuck out her hand to me and we walked downstairs hand-in-hand behind Carlisle. Carlisle opened the door to the library part-ways. I let Bella go in first and Carlisle went in behind her. And abruptly shut the door in my face.

"What?" I was so confused. The door opened, cheers and excited yelling deafened me. My entire family, including Jasper and Bella, were surrounding a glossy black grand piano.

"Happy birthday, Edward!" Everyone screamed. Laughing loudly, eyes dancing, Bella flung herself at me, hugging me tightly.

"Is that mine?" Bella nodded and wrapped her arm around my waist, bringing me over to my gift. I was too afraid to touch it, but apparently she wasn't. She slid right onto the piano bench and plunked out a few notes. Grinning, she scooted over so I would have room to sit.

"Go ahead, try it." I ran my fingers over the ivory keys and placed them gingerly on top. I closed my eyes and channeled my emotions into music. My fingers began to glide across the keys and soon the room was full of rising and falling notes, upbeat tempos and mellow beats. I finished after a few minutes and opened my eyes. My mother discreetly wiping her eyes and the rest simply stared.

"That was beautiful, Edward." Bella whispered and leaned over to kiss my cheek. I smiled and hung my head.

"It was nothing, really." I had already memorized it even thought of a title: Bella's Song. From that day on, I played that song, either on my piano or in my mind, whenever I missed her. It sounded even sadder and melancholy on the piano in the common room at college. I would go late at night and scribble down a random tune or melody, but would ultimately start the familiar song.

* * *

"Bro, Mom called. She said she saw Jacob today, with Bella. She and Alice came home for the weekend and introduced him. Real gentleman, that Jake." Emmett said as he entered my room. Jasper stopped plucking his guitar and put it down next to him. I glared at my brother and continued working on my psych paper.

"Did you tell I said hi?" I asked.

"Who? Bella?" I could hear him rummaging through our mini-fridge and pulled out a beer.

"No, I meant Mom."

"Then yes. Yes, I did." He popped the top and drained half the beer on one swallow. _No wonder he's a hit at parties…_

"She also wanted me to remind you about what day is coming up soon." "Who? Mom?"

"No, Bella. Yes, Mom. Geez, Edward. Thanksgiving is on Friday. You were supposed to get the four of us plane tickets, remember?"

"Shit. I totally forgot. I'll go it right now." I hit the Internet icon and typed the airline we always used into the search bar.

"Don't worry. I took the liberty to book our seats. Here you are, Emmett. Rose's tickets are in there as well. I'll hang onto these, just in case." Jasper slipped the boarding passes back into his bedside drawer.

Thursday night, we flew out of O'Hare International and landed several hours later in Seattle, where Alice and our parents greeted the four of us enthusiastically. I looked around the gate to check for a familiar brunette.

"She and Jake are with his family and Charlie tonight. She wanted to be here tonight, Edward. She misses you dearly." Esme told me as she hugged me tightly. I sighed and readjusted my carry-on strap as I followed my family to baggage claim.

That night, I didn't play piano. I didn't know if it was the jet lag or not seeing Bella at the airport, but I went to bed earlier than anyone else. I woke up late as well and my stomach flipped when I got to the kitchen. Bella was sitting there with Alice and Jasper, laughing about something I had missed.

"Morning, Edward." Alice said, sipping her coffee. Bella spun around in her chair, jumped up and was tackling me within a split second. She spoke quickly while kissing my face furiously.

"I missed you so much! Why haven't you called? Oh my God! Look at you! I heard that you changed your major and I can't even begin to tell you how proud I am of you. I was just telling Alice-"

"Bella, shut up." I laughed and squeezed her hard around the middle, relishing the feeling of her so close to my body. I felt complete and whole with her finally back in my arms.

"Did you miss me? You haven't said you missed me. It's okay, I guess. It's because I stopped calling, isn't it? Or that I changed my profile picture on Facebook. I'm sorry, Edward. I knew you liked that one a lot-"

"Bella! You're rambling again." Alice said from the table. Her cheeks burned bright red and I grinned.

"Of course I missed you, silly girl." I whispered and kissed her forehead softly. She sighed and I inhaled her scent greedily. A few seconds went by and she released me. I immediately missed the feeling of her and followed her like a lost puppy back to the table. Esme came out of nowhere, with a cup of coffee and a stack of pancakes and set it in front of me.

"I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever wake up." She smiled and ruffled my hair lovingly.

"Flying usually gets me. Thanks, Mom." I added as I dug into the fluffy cakes.

"Is Jake coming tonight?" Alice asked after I had started eating. I choked on the last bite of my breakfast and all three of them watched me with growing concern.

"It's alright," I wheezed, "It's not like I'm dying or anything."

"You've always been one for dramatics, dear brother. Just chew your food better." Alice stated simply and waited for Bella's response. Bella rubbed my back and took a sip from my coffee. She was always doing things like that, drinking from my glass or stealing pieces of food off my plate. I was fairly sure I was the only one aware that she did this and it only contributed to the reasons I loved her.

"He thought it would be awkward, meeting you all at once on a holiday. I'm not supposed to say anything because he wants to keep it a secret, but Jake's taking us out tomorrow night." She whispered excitedly, her eyes sparkling. Jasper kicked me under the table, jarring me from my thinking.

"Rose did find last year at Christmas. I think Jacob would do just perfect." I blurted out and instantly regretted it.

"Really? Is that okay with you all? If it is, I'll tell him right now. Esme will want to know…" Bella pulled out her cell phone and rapidly clicked the keys, sending off a text to him. She reached over and grabbed my hand.

"Trust me, Edward. You're going to love him. I do."

_Great. Just fucking great._

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**So...how did you like it? I know it wasn't much, but at least it was something. Please review. I love seeing my inbox full of email notifications.**

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	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Next chapter! Sorry about the wait. I had to write a paper on how Jon Stewart of the Daily Show influences public opinion for my AP Government class. It sucked my life out of me and I finally finished it this afternoon.**

**I also got my Special Edition 2-Disc TWILIGHT DVD in the mail today and I watched it, even though I ordered it OnDemand Saturday night. My mom watched it with me and actually liked it, even though she made fun of certain parts and Edward. *growls***

**Anway, I'm done talking. You should start reading.**

I hung out with Emmett, Alice and Rose all day. Jasper went home to visit his parents and Bella went to go see Jake. Esme banished us to the basement and faint bits and pieces of last year flooded my memory. I sunk down on a couch and covered my face with my hands. Emmett sat in front of me, an extra game controller sat in his lap.

"Best four out of five?"

He beat me and did his traditional victory dance around me. Em always knew how to me feel better. Alice pranced down the basement stairs and regally sat down on the couch next to me. Emmett stopped mid-hip thrust to stare at her.

"May we help you, princess? You interrupted my dance,"

"Oh, is that what you call that? Rose has been recruited by Mom in the kitchen. I'm sorry, Em. I tried my best to save her, but the potato masher got her. She will be missed this afternoon." Alice hung her head and pretended to wipe away a fake tear.

"I really like her." Emmett grumbled and shuffled over to the bar.

"Shots, anyone?"

So we drank a little before dinner…okay, it wasn't _a little_, it was a lot. I needed something to ease the pain of meeting Jacob. I stumbled upstairs with my siblings in tow. Rose was standing at the top, foot tapping angrily against the hardwood.

"Rosie! You're alive!" Emmett raced up behind me, nearly knocking me over. He scooped her up in his arms and spun her around.

"Are you drunk?" She asked, struggling against my goliath of a brother.

"Not really. We were drinking to your memory, you know. Mmm…you smell like pie and potatoes." He sniffed her loudly. A throat clearing distracted us all. Carlisle and Esme were staring at us, a mixture of confusion and mild disapproval on their faces.

"Go sober up in the kitchen. Bella and Jake will be here any moment." Carlisle ushered us towards the back of the house.

"Keep your fingers out of the food, boys! I'm talking to you, Em!" Esme called out after us.

We stood around in the kitchen, Alice texted Jasper and asked when he was coming over.

"He says when his parents stop arguing over who truly won the Civil War, he'll meet us here." I rolled my eyes, knowing all too well that particular argument. His parents were diehard Confederates, taking immense pride that one of their ancestors had been a lieutenant for the Confederacy. They would make Jasper skip school the day Stonewall Jackson was killed and on the anniversary of when Lee surrendered. I remembered when the entire Whitlock family thought about disowning Jasper (and I'm ninety-eight percent positive his grandfather wrote him out of his will) when he was drafted to fight for the Union, at our mock Civil War reenactment in high school.

The sound of doorbell jarred me out of my thoughts and my stomach twisted into knots at the mere thought of who waited outside.

"Bella and Jake are here, everyone! Come and introduce yourself." Esme commanded and we all went into motion. Emmett nudged me not-so-obviously as he walked by. I lagged behind the rest of the family. Alice was gushing over Bella's outfit and how handsome Jacob looked. I tried looking anywhere but her until she said my name.

"Edward, this is Jake. Jake, Edward. I'm so glad you guys can finally meet." She looked absolutely breathtaking in a navy blue knee-length dress. She wore her hair up in a messy bun and had black heels on. Jake, on the other hand, had on brown slacks and a forest green button-up shirt. He had cut his hair since the photo, but it was shaggy.

"I've heard a lot about you from Bella." Jake smiled and stuck out his hand. I stared at it like I would a person who kicked dogs.

"Same here." I nodded towards him and kept my hands in my pockets. He stood awkwardly with his hand outstretched for a few more seconds before putting it around Bella's waist. I actually had to look away because it hurt too much to see them like that.

"Well, the food is ready, so if you'll follow me." As Esme walked past, I heard her mutter under her breath.

"Rude boy…raised him better than that…no manners…"

Dinner was eventful. Jake talked the entire time, essentially sucking up to my family. I kept my mouth shut and shoveled in turkey and potatoes as fast as I could without choking because it was excruciating sitting next to Bella, hearing her whisper and giggle with him. I stood up with my plate, fully intending to go put it in the sink and return back to the basement, where a half-drank glass of scotch was waiting and calling my name.

"Going to the kitchen?" Esme asked from the end of the table. I nodded, gestured with my plate.

"Bring back the pies, will you? I would, but I want to hear more about this motorcycle story. You got Bella to ride one?" My fingers tightened around the plate and I was positive it was going to shatter right then and there.

"I'll help you. I've been dreaming of your pies for months now." Bella glanced up at me and I went into the kitchen without a word. I stacked my plate in the sink and gripped the countertop painfully.

"He put you on a motorcycle. What was he thinking?"

"It was my idea, actually. I've always wanted to try it." My blood boiled at the thought of Bella on a dangerous machine.

"One wrong move and you could've been hurt, or worse. Did you even think of that? What if you died?" I turned to face her. Her stance was stubborn and defiant. _Good, I feel like fighting_.

"Well, I didn't. And Jake was riding right beside me the entire time. Why does it matter to you what Jake and I do together?"

"Because it does. I'm your best friend, remember? Seems like you've forgotten that." My voice took a hard edge as we glared at each other.

"Hey, don't forget the whip cream." Emmett stuck his head around the corner. He raised his eye brows at the both of us and disappeared. I pushed off the counter and took a pie in each hand.

"Grab the damn whip cream on the way out." As I left, I felt a soft _thwap _on the back of my head. Something cool dripped down my neck and down my shirt. I set the pies down and reached around, wiping off a glob of cream. A chunk of pumpkin pie flew through the air and landed on her left cheek. Soon enough, food was flying around the kitchen.

"What is going- oh! Edward! Bella!" Alice screeched as she took in the view. We both froze and with one final growl, Bella overturned the whip cream bowl on my head. Topping dripped into my eyes and I wiped it off.

"Mom is going to hack you to pieces. You know how long she worked on those pies…"

"He deserved it, that insufferable ass." Bella grumbled, folding her arms across her ruined dress.

"Edward, what's taking you so- WHAT HAPPENED TO MY KITCHEN?! JESUS, ARE THOSE MY PIES?!" Esme roared, her face turning red.

"I'll get the mop." Alice muttered and left the kitchen.

Bella and I cleaned the entire kitchen in complete silence. Esme watched, her angry glare boring into the back of my head. The rest of the family and Jacob were eating ice cream in the dining room, something Alice thought of to cool Esme down.

"It seems like every time you two get together, you always end up cleaning up a mess you make."

"I'm sorry, Esme." Bella said as she scrubbed pecan pie off the refrigerator.

"I'll make replacements tomorrow and bring them over. I know you spent an awful long time on these." Bella continued and I knew she was trying to break my mom. I heard my mom's soft sigh, the sign that Bella had accomplished her mission.

"Finish what you're doing, change your clothes and you can join the rest in the dining room. I think you've done enough for tonight." I got up off the floor and kissed her forehead.

"Sorry, Mom. Love you." She placed a hand on my face, her thumb gently rubbing my cheek.

"Even though you destroyed my kitchen, I still love you too."

I went up to my room and found a new set of clothes laid out on my bed. _Alice._ I changed slowly, throwing my dirty clothes in my bathroom to rinse out before giving them to Esme to clean. I stuck my head under the faucet to get some of the whipped cream out. I scrubbed my hair roughly with a towel, throwing it on the pile in the tub. I made my way back downstairs, where Bella was waiting with two bowls of ice cream.

"Everyone is downstairs. Jasper's here, too. I made it just how you like it." She pushed the sundae towards me and it made my heart hurt. She was perfect in so many ways and she knew the tiniest details about me.

"Thanks. I'm sorry for yelling at you. It was uncalled for." I said, stirring the chopped nuts she sprinkled on top around the rim of the bowl.

"You didn't yell. I should've told you about it earlier. I did forget to include that I was wearing a helmet and Jake's leather jacket." I let out an involuntary groan at the image of Bella in leather. _So damn sexy._

"You alright?" She asked, concerned.

"Bit my tongue." We ate quietly until she put down her spoon.

"Honest opinion, Edward. How do you like Jake? I really want to know what you think of him." I thought long and hard about how to respond. I could go brutally honest, saying that he wasn't good enough for her and I'm the only one she needs. Or I could be the best friend and support her.

"He sounds nice, Bells. Really. I'm happy for you." She smiled and came around the table to hug me. She kissed my cheek and didn't move. My heart skipped, a fleeting thought flashed though my mind, that maybe she was reconsidering her choice.

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear. I miss this, don't you? How's Chicago?" She settled on my lap to talk. It was so normal, so…_Bella._ We talked about school and filled in each other on our lives. Someone walked upstairs and both of us turned to see who it was. Mr. Mood-Killer himself stood in the doorway, eyes blazing and one hand even curled into a fist.

"Bella." Jacob said, his voice deadly calm. Her warmth left and I nearly whimpered out loud at the loss.

"Hey, sweetie. The movie start yet?" She quickly finished her dessert and stood, bowl in hand.

"Yea, about ten minutes ago."

"Oh. Let me go put this in the sink and I'll come down. I haven't seen it before, Alice says it's amazing."

"I forgot something at the apartment. I'm going to run back before going out tonight. Come with me." She looked at me and I closed my eyes. I knew what he meant. He didn't want me by her; I was competition to him. _He finally gets it._

"Okay then. I'll go tell Alice."

"She knows. Grab your coat." I heard her soft footsteps go into the kitchen and my eyes shot open when my shirt was yanked roughly.

"Keep your god damn dirty hands off her. If you haven't noticed, she's with me. Understand?"

"I've noticed. And hear this: you ever put her in danger again or hurt her, I'll rip your fucking head off. Understand?" I mocked. Jake and I shot daggers at one another until Bella returned. He released me and I smooth out my shirt. He wrapped his around her waist possessively and led her out of the house, out of my life.

**Okay, Jake and Edward fighting has got to be the single hottest thing in the entire world. At least to me it is. I promise that the next chapter will be at the club and I know you'll love it. REVIEW.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I wrote this in one weekend and I am extremely pleased with myself. I hope you are as well. **

I filled in Jasper about the evening's events. We sat at the basement bar, while everyone else finished watching the movie. As the credits began to roll, my head swam pleasantly. Alice jumped up, phone in hand.

"Bella wants us to meet them at the club in twenty minutes. I have to go change," She flew up the stairs, Rose followed. Emmett and Jasper both turned to me with looks on their faces that I couldn't quite figure out.

"You sure you want to go to the club? I'm worn out from family antics, maybe I'll stay here." Jasper ventured.

"No. That's exactly what that damn prick wants me to do. God, this sucks!" My words slurred and I had to close my eyes because the basement and its occupants began to spin. Jasper squeezed my shoulder and we sat in silence.

"Boys. Let's go!" Alice yelled, and we trudged upstairs.

* * *

I climbed out of Emmett's Jeep and searched the parking lot for Bella. I saw her, waving wildly from the middle of the line. Alice tugged on my hand and I stumbled, still a little more than buzzed.

"Bella! There you are! You're glowing!" She squealed when we joined them in line. Jake had his arm around her waist and she was glowing, all right. _Stick the knife in a little deeper, will you?_ They had _sex._ I knew that glow anywhere.

"Jake and I got ready together…" She raised her eyebrows suggestively at Alice and Rose and the three of them giggled like crazy. We advanced in the line and soon enough, the smell of sweat, perfume and alcohol hit me like a ton of bricks.

"…table?" I barely heard Alice over the pounding bass of the music being played by the DJ. We found a booth large enough for all of us to sit and without a single word, Alice dragged a reluctant Jasper out to the dance floor and I soon lost sight of them.

"I'll go get drinks." Emmett volunteered and Rose went with, leaving me alone with Bell and Jake. He glared at me across the table, while she was oblivious and tried to start a conversation with me.

"I think over Spring Break, I'm going to fly out to Chicago and spend the week with you. Chicago probably has better clubs than Forks and Port Angeles combined."

"I'd love to show you around."

"Remember the last time we got together? I wanted to go clubbing, but we played Truth or Dare instead. Best night of my life." She grinned, a certain sparkle in her eye. My breathing quickened, because she was finally acknowledging what happened between us.

"Mine, too." Jake glanced back and forth at us and shook his head.

"I'm going to see if they need help." Before he left, he grabbed Bella forcefully and kissed her fiercely. He let go with a growl and stalked off. Bella laughed awkwardly and all I wanted to do was go back home and curl up in a ball on my bed, waiting for someone to take pity on me and end my misery.

"I have no idea what got into him. Sorry about that. Do you want to dance?" My jaw dropped at her request.

"Last I remember, you hated dancing." She nodded in agreement and shrugged.

"When you spend your weekends with Alice, you learn to like things you hate. I actually tolerate shopping now." We started talking about Alice and were interrupted by Rose, Em and Jake placing a multitude of drinks on the table between Bella and I.

"Babe, come on and dance." Jake pulled Bella out of the booth and into the throng of gyrating people. Emmett pushed a drink towards me, I stared at it curiously.

"Don't ask questions, just drink."

My siblings left in shifts, one couple going to dance, the other coming in to rest. I sat at the table and finished off everyone's drinks. I signaled a waitress and ordered another round.

"Who's tab is this on?" She asked. I grinned, and crooked my fingers towards her.

"See that gorgeous brunette dancing with that guy over there?" Bella and Jake had moved to the outside of the mob and were clearly visible to me.

"Yea?"

"Put all this on his tab. Jacob Black. In fact, the next few rounds, doesn't matter if it's from out table, he told me to put it on his tab. He's a great guy."

"That I can do." Satisfied, I sat back and finished my beer and reached for another drink. It was going to be a great night indeed.

I drank myself back to the pleasant state I had achieved before dinner earlier. I was the designated table saver and I was fine with that. It must've been that time of night because the music changed from the annoying techno to heavy rock. The people on the dance floor increased and Bell and Jake were once again shoved to the outside of the pack. My eyes automatically traveled to her, noting the changes that had occurred while dancing. The lights from above made her skin shine, her dress clung to her body from the sweat. She had pulled her hair back and looked even sexier than before, if that was possible. A new song blared out of the speakers and I sat up a little straighter. The heavy drums and guitar riff made me focus on Bella. She ground herself against Jacob as the lyrics started.

_My girlfriend's a dick magnet_

_My girlfriend's got a habit_

_She's hot, can't stop, up on stage,_

_Doing shots, tip the man he'll ring the bell_

_Get her drunk she'll scream like hell._

_Dirty girl, gettin' down, dance with guys from outta town._

_Grab her ass, actin' tough._

_Mess with her, she'll fuck you up._

_No one really knows if she's drunk or if she's stoned,_

_But she's comin' back to my place tonight!_

The chorus started and her eyes met mine. I swallowed and drained another drink. It burned going down, so it gave me an excuse to close my eyes.

_She likes to shake her ass, she grinds it to the beat_

_She likes to pull my hair when I make her grind her teeth_

_I like to strip her down, she's naughty to the end._

_You know what she is, no doubt about it._

_She's a bad, bad girlfriend!_

I groaned and left, going outside for a breather. Emmett and Rose were there as well, molded together against the wall.

"Jesus, is there no safe place for me?" Emmett must've heard me because he untangled a hand from Rose's hair and gave me the finger. I went back inside to find that a new song was playing. This one made me stop in my tracks, because Bella was the hottest thing I had ever seen in my entire life.

_Got to meet the hottie_

_With the million dollar body._

_They say it's over budget_

_But you'd pay her just to touch it, come on._

_Needs to hit the big screen_

_And shoot a little love scene._

_If Hollywood had called her,_

_She'd be gone before ya had her, come on._

_Pretty little lady with the pretty pink thong._

_Every sugar daddy hittin' on her all night long._

_Doesn't care about the money, she could be with anybody._

_Ain't it funny how the honey wanted you all along._

_(You naught thing)_

_You're ripping up the dance floor honey_

_(You naughty woman)_

_You shake your ass around for everyone _

_(You're such a mover)_

_I love the way you dance with anybody_

_(The way you swing)_

_And tease them all by sucking on your thumb_

_You're so much cooler when you never pull it out_

'_Cuz you look so much cuter_

_With something in your mouth!_

My heart stopped and my head spun when her eyes locked with mine again. _She's going to be the death of me._ I watched as she was spun around and yanked up against Jake. I ran a hand over my face and went back outside. _Thank God, they found a room_, I thought as I paced the parking lot. I heard the door open and close, my name being called.

"Edward? Are you leaving?" Bella asked, slightly out of breath.

"No. I, uh, needed some air."

"I saw you watching me, out on the dance floor." That's my Bella, cutting straight through the bullshit to get right to the core.

"I was."

"And I was watching you, too." In a flash, she was in my arms, her face buried in my neck.

"God, I've missed you. I don't want you to leave."

"I don't want to either, Bella." I murmured in her hair and she pulled back to look up at me. With a low groan and a grumbled curse, I crushed my mouth to hers and went flying. My fingers threaded in her hair, anchoring her to me. She molded herself against my body; I was in heaven. This was by far better than last Christmas and this time, there wasn't an audience and we took our sweet time. My eyes rolled back in my head when I felt her tongue touch my lips. Her teeth grazed my mouth and bit lightly. I opened on a gasp and she slipped in. _Too much…too much Bella…_One of my hands left her hair and ghosted down her side, grazing her breast. She gasped and stiffened. I did it again until Bella released me with a whimper.

"Your house. Now. Please." She panted and I nodded, dragging her towards…_Shit! Emmett drove tonight!_ Bella must've figured it out because she started to drag me back towards the club.

"I'll just get the key from- Jake!" Bella screeched, shocked at the sudden appearance of her boyfriend. _Soon to be ex-boyfriend_, I thought gleefully.

"I thought you said you were going to the bathroom." He ground out, eyes blazing.

"I was, and then I noticed Edward was gone. I wanted to see if he was okay."

"Liar. I saw you with him, you cheating bitch." He gripped her wrist tightly and yanked her harshly, making her stumble and land on the rough pavement.

"I told you to keep your hands off her, you fucker." I snarled, a red haze started to form around the edges of my vision. He let her go and stalked over, pushing me back.

"What the hell do you plan on doing about it?" Thoroughly pissed off, I made a fist and slammed it into Jake's face. He took a few dazed steps backward and then came at me like a rabid animal. He knocked me to the ground, pummeling me the entire time. I cussed and flipped him over, sitting on his chest, making it an easier advantage to beat the shit out of him. I was pulled off by somebody and I struggled fiercely.

"Cool it, bro! Jesus, remind me never to piss you off. You did a number on him, didn't you?" Emmett's rumbling voice said from behind. Jake was sitting up, wiping away the blood that was oozing from his nose and lip. Bella must've gone in for reinforcements. She came over to me, inspecting me for injuries. I knew it helped to have been drinking before the ordeal, because the alcohol was numbing the pain. It was going to be a bitch in the morning, teamed up with a vicious hangover.

"You gonna be okay?" Bella whispered, stroking my cheek gently.

"For now. I don't know about tomorrow, though." The pain started to filter through the drunken fog I had developed. She leaned forward and kissed my forehead. She stood up and started to leave.

"Where are you going?" I asked, suddenly feeling like a small child who just lost their toy. She turned around and gestured to Jacob, who was glaring at us.

"I'm taking his ass back to the apartment." I must've made a face because she smiled.

"Don't worry, Edward. I'll be at your house in no time." She grunted as she helped Jake to his feet and staggered under his weight as she walked them over to the car. After buckling him up, she waved at us and got in the car, starting it up. I watched as she put it in reverse and left the parking lot.

"Come on, bro. Let's clean you up." Emmett let me go and I brushed off the dirt on my shirt and pants.

I took a shower and crawled into bed, the pain pills Carlisle had given me started to take effect. I don't know how long I was out, but the sound of consistent knocking brought me back to consciousness.

"What?" My voice cracked with sleep. The door swung open and Alice rushed in, tears streaming down her face. She collapsed on my bed, sobs wracking her petite frame. Panic coursed through me, fully awake now.

"What?" I repeated.

"It's Bella. She's in the hospital. She was in a car crash."

**Music credits go to Theory of a Deadman for "Bad Girlfriend" and Nickelback for "Something in Your Mouth". **

**Please leave me a review. I promise this has a happy ending.**


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